Examination grade checking board



Sept. 16, 1958 w. SHRODE 2,852,276

EXAMINATION GRADE CHECKING BOARD Filed Nov. 2a, 1956 s Sheets-Sheet 1 .....||IIIIHI|H [i/Vf/V/OE (7907 M 57/5005 B -W4 Sepf. 16 1958 L W. SHRODE EXAMINATION GRADE CHECKING BOARD 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 28, 1956 Sept. 16, 1958 L. w. SHRODE 2,852,276

EXAMINATION GRADE CHECKING BOARD I Filed Nov. 28, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 [Maw/roe seoy 1% 5 /2005 Arr-021w? and EXAMINATION GRADE CHECKING BOARD Leroy W. Shrode, Evansville, Ind.

Application November 28, 1956, Serial No. 624,937

Claims. (Cl. 281--44) One of the tedious jobs of a teacher or instructor is to compile grades to answers on examinations of the students. The present invention has to do with a board on which may be placed one after another a length of tape on which the student will have placed answers to the examination, there being one tape for each student.

Reference is made to my U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,639,167 issued May l9, 1953 which discloses the use :of these tapes and also discloses a board upon which the tapes may be positioned and held during the checking of the answers for grading.

Since there will be one tape for each student, the length of the board on which the tapes are to be placed must be sufficient to accommodate the tapes when placed side by side, and this means that for large classes particularly the board will have a length of around four feet or more, or perhaps less, all depending upon the number of students normally taking examinations. That is, the length of the board Will be determined by the number of the students in one particular group taking the one examination.

The primary purpose of this invention is to provide means carried by the board without separate or removable parts wherein the board may be placed on a desk or table or other likesupport and may be readily shifted endwise in order to bring the immediate tape under consideration in front of the grader for the utmost convenience without requiring the grader to lean from one side to the other to observe the individual tapes, particularly toward the ends of the board.

Other purposes and objects of the invention such as in the unique combination of elements as set forth by the appended claims to accomplish the result indicated will be readily apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular form of the invention, in which Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation of the device embodying the invention, a fragment of the board wall having been removed, and showing the board positioned across a desk;

Fig. 2 is a view in rear elevation of the device embodying the invention with a fragmentaiy portion of the track removed;

Fig. 3 is a View in right hand elevation of the device resting on the desk;

Fig. 4 is a view in vertical transverse section on the line 4--4 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a View in vertical transverse section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 2.

An elongated board 10, preferably made out of metal, has lower and upper flanges 11 and 12 respectively turned downwardly and rearwardly from the upper and lower marginal edge portions of the board 10. Within the bends 13 and 14 defining the junctions of the flanges 11 and 12 with the board 10, and on the rear side thereof, are positioned rotatively rods 15 and 16 extending the entire length of the board 10, and terminating by a knurled head 17 on each end of each rod.

These rods 15 and 16 are rotatively retained by any atet Cit

ice

suitable means, herein shown, Fig. 5, as by means of clamps 18 and 19 yieldingly urged against the rods by means of a spring 20 in each instance carried on a bolt 21 extending through the respective flanges 11 and 12, the spring 20 being compressibly carried between the clamps 18 and 19 in each instance by bearing thereagainst and also against outer retaining nuts 22.

Each of the rods 15 and 16 carries a plurality of pins 23 and 24 respectively in parallel alignment one with the other and within a common radial plane, each set of pins 23 and 24 extending through slots 25 and 26 respectively, these slots being carried in the lower marginal edge portion of the board 10 and down into the flange 11 in the one instance and through the upper flange 12 in the other instance.

The examination answers are placed by students on tapes 27, all of a common width and a common length. The tapes preferably are provided with horizontal lines 28 thereacross, some of the lines being filled in with color 29, for the sake of readily determining common lines on adjacent tapes or on lines entirely across the tapes carried on the board 10 at any one time. Each tape 27 is provided with top and bottom holes or perforations 30 and 31 respectively spaced apart longitudinally of the tape so that when the pins 23 and 24 are turned by rotating the rods 15 and 16 to extend substantially perpendicularly from the face of the board 10, the tapes may be dropped over these pins to have the pins come through the holes 30 and 31, and after all of the tapes 27 have been placed across the board accordingly, then the two rods 15 and 16 may be rotated by means of their respective heads 17 to bring the pins into position as indicated in the several views throughout the drawings, whereby the tapes 27 are in effect stretched across the face of the board, and maintained in taut condition so that there is no tendency for the tapes to move on the board 10 and are thus held rigid for checking.

That much of the present invention is disclosed in my prior patent above indicated. With the board 10 having a length such as indicated in Fig. l where it extends across the major portion of a desk top 32, tapes 27 particularly over end portions of the board It will be removed to the left or right of the grader, who would normally sit in a centrally located position in reference to the desk top 32 and the board 10 to be held thereon. The board 10 is desirably supported on the desk top 32 in an inclined position so that the line of sight of the grader will be normally perpendicular to the face of the board 10.

A pair of spaced apart brackets 33 and 34 are secured across the rear side of the board 10, herein shown as having upper ends bolted to the flange 12, and lower ends bolted to the flange 11. In the present showing, there is a board, preferably made out of wood, designated by the numeral 35 extending the entire length of the board 10 on its rear side in order to stabilize the metal sheet forming the board 10 and prevent drumming or noise arising otherwise. The brackets 33 and 34 are preferably secured to the rear side of this wooden board 35 as indicated .in Fig. 2 by any suitable means, herein shown as by the screws 36.

Each bracket 33 and 34 is essentially an angle iron with a leg 37 positioned parallel with the board 10 and a rearwardly turned leg 38 substantially at right angles to the leg 37.

The lower portion of the leg 38 is provided with a downwardly extending arm 39 and a normally horizontally extending arm it) providing surfaces 41 and 42 substantially at right angles one to the other. These two surfaces 41 and 42 if continued to intersection would intersect on the axis 43, Fig. 5. However, instead of intersecting, the portion of the leg 38 is cut out circularly on a radius centered on the axis 43 to define an are 44 of 3 opening extending substantially 270 degrees and terminating at the surfaces 41 and-'42.

The arm 39 extending downwardly has a roller 45 rotatably mounted on the axis of a. retaining bolt 46 carried through the roller 45 and through a rearwardly turnedleg 47 extending at right angles to the arm 39. The circumferential "surface of the roller 45 extends slightlypast the surface '41. Likewise'the'arm carries a roller 48 rotatably mounted by means of a bolt 4-9 extending therethrough and secured in a le'g'fill outturned from the arm '40. This roller 43 likewise has its circumferentialsurface extending slightlydownwardly from the surface 42. I

A track generally designated by 'thenunreralfil has the legs 52 and 53 extending at right angles one from the other and aremountedon a cylindrical rib 54. This rib 54 isfreely entered through the hole '44, and the legs 52 and 53 arepresented'thereby to have the rollers and 43 in rolling contact with the forward side of the track leg 52 and thetopside ofthe track leg 53 all as indicated in Fig. 5. The track '51 extends a major distance acrosstherear' side 'of the board 16 as indicated in Fig. 2. Thememberi54. is coextensive with the track and extends not onlythrough the bracket 33 but also in like manner through the bracket 34, the. construction in regard to the bracket 34 and its engagement with the track 51 being identical with that as just described in relation to the bracket 33.

V-shaped bracket generally designated by the numeral 55 isformed to have a pair of arms 56 and 57 diverging from an apex 53 through which is carried a support bolt 59 on which is revolubly carried a roller or wheel 68. Each of the arms '56 and 57 on their free ends is turned upwardly by lengths 61 and 62 in substantially parallel relation, and from the outer ends of which lengths 61 and 62 there extends substantially at right angles thereto afoot 63 and '65 rotatably extending through the rearwardly turned legs 38 respectively of the brackets 33 and 34, as illustrated in reference to the leg 57, in Pig. 4.

The bracket 55 may thus be rocked to bring the wheel under the board 10 to be substantially within the confines of the projection of the leg 38 for the bracket 33and the rearwardly turned leg 38 of the bracket 34.

These flanges or legs 38 have portions 67 and 68 formed to allow the straight length portions 61 and 62 to spring therealong when the bracket 55 is rocked to a supporting position as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. The bracket 55 is made out of'a rod somewhat elastic in nature, so that the legs 56 and 57 normally tend to spread outwardly one from the other but when rocked to bring the wheel 60 towardthe board 10 as above indicated, the legs 56 and 57 willtend to be pressed one toward the other by being rocked in sliding contact along the normal perpendicular faces of the flanges or legs 38, being allowed to spread outwardly only when the bracket 55 is rocked rearwardly to bring the straight length portions 61 and '62 within the grooves 69 and 70 formed ontheinner opposing sides of the portions 67 and 68. In this manner, the seating of "the-straightlength portions '61 a'nd'62 in these grooves 69 and 70 will tend to retain the bracket 55 in' the supporting position.

The track 51 is brought up to the front edge portion 71 of the desk top 32 to have the track leg '52'extend downwardly and along in contact with the front edge 71, and thus position the other leg 53 to rest on the topside of the desk top 32. Preferably there is provided a resilient and friction I strip 72 along the underside of the track leg 53 not only to prevent marring of the desk top 32, but also aid in retaining the track 51 in a fixed position on that desk top.

With the track thus positioned, and the bracket 55 rocked rearwardly,.the wheel 60 rests on the top 32, the bracket '55 and the diameter of the Wheel 60 -being selected to be such that the track 51 is presented with its 4 respective legs 52 and 53 in parallel relations with the front edge and topside of the desk top 32 so that the rollers 4-5 and ie-may be free to turn as the board 10 is shifted along the desk top 32 with the track 51 remaining stationary.

The board it? is so easily shifted along the track 51 in this manner that provision is made for selectively retaining the board 10 in any suitable position, at least temporarily, while the tapes 27 are being placed on the board, herein shown as centrally locating the board in reference to the track 51.

This retaining means consists, Fig. 4, essentially of a rod 75 passing through guides 76 and 77 mounted on the backside of the board 10, and carrying a lower knob 78 as a means for longitudinally shifting the rod 75. The track leg 52 has a hole 79 provided therein into which the relatively upper end of the rod 75 may enter. This hole 79 is, as suggested, located centrally of the length of the leg 52, and the rod 75 is urged normally toward the track leg 52 by means of a spring 30 comprcssibly bearing between the leg 81 and a stop or abutment 32 fixedly carried on the rod 75. Normally the board 10 may be shifted along the track 51 and when the board ill is centered on the track 51, the rod 75 will spring into the hole 7 9 and thus prevent further shifting between the track and the board. Simply by pulling downwardly on the knob 78, the rod 75 may bereleased from engagement within the hole 79, and the end of the rod may ride along the outer face of the track leg 52 while the board 10 is shifted to either side of center of the track 51.

Herein shown as a matter of convenience is a trough member 83 extending'forwardly and upwardly from the loweredge of the front flange 11 to serve as a means for carrying pencils and the like. A screw 85 entering each end of the member 54 serves as an abutment in relation to the brackets 33 and 34 limiting travel thereby of the board 10.

While I have herein shown my invention in the one particular form, it is obvious that structural variations may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with aboard, on which individual tapes may be mounted side by side, of means detachably. mounting the board on a table-like member which comprises a track freely resting on said member and having a pair of legs extending one substantially at right angles to the other, one leg resting on top of said member and the other extending downwardly from that member "along an edge portion thereof; a bead carried by and along said track extending upwardly therefrom and having an outer portion of greater width than that of a portion adjacent the track; bracket means carried by said board extending therefrom and surrounding said outer head portion thereby slidingly. engaging and retaining said bracket means along said track; bearing means carried by said board normally bearing vertically downwardly on said track leg resting on top of said member; second bearing means carried by said board normally bearing horizontally against said leg extending downwardly from said member; and a back support carried by said board removed from said track.

2. The structure of claim 1 which said two bearing means bridge said head and make contact with said track legs at zones removed from the bead.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said bead is a cylindrical member extending diagonally outwardly from the juncture of said two legs.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which said board overhangs said track to extend by a portion belowsaid member, and said bracket meansand said Shearing means being mounted behind said board .and above said board portion.

5. The structure of claim 1 in which there is ailatch member carried by said board and yie'ldingly urged against and slidable along said track, and there is a latch abutment carried by said track in the path of the latch member, with which abutment and latch member may engage and hold said board against shifting longitudinally of said track; and friction means interposed between said track and said table-like member normally resisting shifting of the track in reference to that member while said board may be shifted along the track.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Nuckolls Apr. 18, 1911 Ponsford June 9, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS France June 10, 1953 

